Feifei
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, where we explain phrases used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them too. I’m Feifei.
**Phil
**And I’m Phil. I hear congratulations are in order. You got a promotion!
FeifeiI did! The boss is retiring, so I get to step into his shoes.
**Phil
**Now, before I ask you “but will they fit?” or “why do you want his shoes?” – it doesn’t mean that, does it?
FeifeiNo, no, of course not! We’ll learn that expression in this programme – ‘step into the shoes’ of someone. It means to take on someone’s role and their responsibilities.
**Phil
**It’s often connected with the idea of readiness. If you’re ready to step into those shoes, then it means that you have the right preparation to take on that responsibility.
FeifeiYes. You’ll also often hear it used when we want to say that someone will be hard to replace. For example, ‘it’s going be difficult to find someone who can step into the boss’s shoes’.
**Phil
**Well, before you step into the boss’s shoes, let’s hear some other people using this expression .
ExamplesThe team’s captain was injured so a young academy player stepped into his shoes.
My mum always hosts Christmas dinner but she’s decided she doesn’t want to this year so I’m going to step into her shoes and do it myself.
One of my colleagues had a baby so I stepped into her shoes and did her job while she was away.
FeifeiWe’ve been learning the expression ‘step into someone’s shoes’ to mean ’take on responsibilities of someone’.
**Phil
**There’s another shoe expression that sounds a bit similar but has a different meaning, so make sure you don’t get confused. If you ‘put yourself in someone else’s shoes’, it means you try to see something from their perspective.
FeifeiNow, if you’re planning to step into someone’s shoes, improving your English can help you get ready. Make sure you’re here next time, to learn a new English expression!
**Phil
**Bye!
FeifeiBye bye!